Total pages in book: 176
Estimated words: 167257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 836(@200wpm)___ 669(@250wpm)___ 558(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 167257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 836(@200wpm)___ 669(@250wpm)___ 558(@300wpm)
I know you are, Atlas, and that’s the problem. I thought it would be enough.
It had taken until a letter came with no return address and the offer for a new start for me to accept that my mom had died too. The only difference was that her heart kept beating—no matter how often I’d overhear her begging it to stop.
“Good job today, Atlas,” Tuesday praised. “See you tomorrow.”
I waved at Tuesday and Will—one of the technicians walking alongside her—as they headed to the employee parking lot behind the building.
I headed in the opposite direction toward the street where I was parked. I was scheduled to work tomorrow bright and early, but luckily the shop was only open from nine to noon on Saturday, so it would be a blissfully short shift.
A neon-green flyer and a pink parking ticket were both waiting for me on my windshield when I reached my car. Balling up the ticket, I tossed it away, knowing I’d find another there tomorrow. I needed to keep a low profile for now, so parking at the shop was out of the question.
I grabbed the flyer, ready to toss it away as well, when I paused at the mention of a party on the other side of town. Was it wise to risk flying solo in a city where I had no one to call if I got in trouble?
It sounded like a terrible idea.
But…
It was better than going back to my crummy motel in Hooker’s Cove with nothing but thoughts of my dead father and grieving mother to keep me company. I also didn’t feel like dodging the pimps and prostitutes that lurked around Hooker’s Cove, so I hopped in my car, plugged the address into my GPS, and drove off into the unknown.
The unknown turned out to be a massive hangover.
I’d gone to the party last night, which turned out to be a homecoming for some guys who must have been a big deal before they skipped town years ago.
The house had been so crowded I never even got a glimpse of the motley crew holding court in the packed living room.
And then I got so drunk I didn’t care.
How had I even gotten back to the motel last night?
I didn’t remember calling an Uber…or leaving the party. The room started spinning before I could figure it out, and I decided I didn’t care how or when I’d made it back. I could tell it was morning by the subtle burning of my eyelids, so I turned away from the window and the sun streaming through and hugged the pillow under my head with a sigh as I settled on my stomach.
I was beginning to drift off again when I felt the bed shift…and a leg brush against my own. My eyes flew open, and my nausea returned tenfold when I realized not only was I not alone, this wasn’t even my bed.
This wasn’t my room, and I wasn’t in Hooker’s Cove.
The person lying next to me turned over while I was still trying to make sense of how I got here, and I paused at the face that greeted me.
Light brown skin.
Long lashes.
Smirking lips even while unconscious.
Smudged black eyeliner.
And a spiked silver hoop piercing the septum.
Slowly, my bedmate’s eyes opened, drawing my attention to the words bad news tattooed in angry black letters high on their right cheek just underneath the eye. I felt my stomach turn because that couldn’t be a good sign, right?
I was still figuring out what to say when she spoke first, her voice like a siren’s song, even when tinged with sleep. “You forgot my name, didn’t you?”
“Uhhh…”
She pouted. “I’m crushed.”
“Sorry,” I croaked.
“It’s okay.” She giggled a little cruelly. “I forgot yours, too, so I guess we’re even.” There was an awkward pause as we both questioned if we wanted to exchange names. “Ruen,” she eventually offered.
“Atlas.” And then… “How did I get here?”
“I invited you,” she answered easily. A wicked smile curved her lips. “You seemed eager to come.”
Subtle.
I groaned and hid my face in the pillow. There was no way she only meant her place. I felt Ruen watching me, so I peeked at her through one eye. “And do you always bring nameless strangers home?”
“Only when they’re as pretty as you.” Ruen winked. Speechless, I watched her stretch her lithe body and yawn before sliding out of bed. My gaze was drawn straight to her pierced nipples and perky tits before she turned and headed to the floor-length mirror in the corner.
She only wore a thong, her round ass jiggling with every step.
The thong was green like the skunk stripe on the right side of her black wig that was cut into a chin-length bob. The left side was dyed purple. It suited her high cheekbones, sharp eyes, and diamond-shaped face.